Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost –September 26, 2021

Today’s Theme for Worship: Our Lord has done all things well. We know this from faith, rather than sight. In times of trouble, we are tempted to doubt our God’s saving love. Only the gospel can comfort and strengthen our faith in our victorious Savior.

Order of Service: Service of Word and Sacrament

Opening Hymn 434 Lord, You I Love with All My Heart

1 Lord, you I love with all my heart; I pray you ne’er from me depart;

With tender mercies cheer me.

Earth has no pleasure I would share; Heaven itself were void and bare

If you, Lord, were not near me.

And should my heart for sorrow break, My trust in you no one could shake.

You are the treasure I have sought; Your precious blood my soul has bought.

Lord Jesus Christ, My God and Lord, my God and Lord,

Forsake me not! I trust your Word.

2 Lord God, ’twas your rich bounty gave My body, soul, and all I have

In this poor life of labor.

Lord, grant that I in ev’ry place May glorify your lavish grace

And serve and help my neighbor.

Let no false doctrine me beguile; Let Satan not my soul defile.

Give strength and patience unto me To bear my crosses willingly.

Lord Jesus Christ, My God and Lord, my God and Lord,

Forsake me not! I trust your Word.

3 Lord, let at last your angels come; To Abram’s bosom bear me home

That I may die unfearing.

And in its narrow chamber keep My body safe in peaceful sleep

Until your reappearing.

And then from death awaken me That my own eyes with joy may see,

O Son of God, your glorious face, My Savior and my Fount of grace.

Lord Jesus Christ, My prayer attend, my prayer attend,

And I will praise you without end.

Text: Martin M. Schalling, 1532-1608; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827-78, alt.

Order of Service: Service of Word and Sacrament

P: The grace of our Lord + Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you.

C: And also with you.

Confession of Sins

P: God invites us to come into his presence and worship him with humble and penitent hearts. Therefore, let us acknowledge our sinfulness and ask him to forgive us.

C: Holy and merciful Father, I confess that I am by nature sinful, and that I have disobeyed you in my thoughts, words, and actions. I have done what is evil and failed to do what is good. For this I deserve your punishment both now and in eternity. But I am truly sorry for my sins, and trusting in my Savior Jesus Christ, I pray: Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.

P: God, our heavenly Father, has been merciful to us and has given his only Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Therefore, as a called servant of Christ and by his authority, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen.

Lord, Have Mercy

P: For all that we need in life and for the wisdom to use all your gifts with gratitude and joy, hear our prayer, O Lord.

C: ♬ Lord, have mer-cy.

P: For the steadfast assurance that nothing can separate us from your love and for the courage to stand firm against the assaults of Satan and every evil, hear our prayer, O Christ.

C: ♬ Christ, have mer-cy.

P: For the well-being of your holy Church in all the world and for those who offer here their worship and praise, hear our prayer, O Lord.

C: ♬ Lord, have mer-cy.

P: Merciful God, maker and preserver of life, uphold us by your power and keep us in your tender care:

C: ♬ A-men.

P: The works of the Lord are great and glorious; his name is worthy of praise.

♬ O Lord, Our Lord

O Lord, our Lord, how glo-rious is your name in all the earth.

Al-might-y God, mer-ci-ful Father,

you crown our life with your love.

You take a-way our sin; you com-fort our spir-it;

you make us pure and ho-ly in your sight.

You did not spare your on-ly Son, but gave him up for us all.

O Lord, our Lord, how glo-rious is your name in all the earth.

O Son of God, e-ter-nal Word of the Fa-ther,

you came to live with us;

you made your Fa-ther known;

you washed us from our sins in your own blood.

You are the King of glo-ry; you are the Lord!

O Lord, our Lord, how glo-rious is your name in all the earth.

Prayer of the Day

P: Let us Pray.

Lord, we pray that your mercy and grace may always go before and follow after us that, loving you with undivided hearts, we may be ready for every good and useful work; through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: ♬ A-men.

First Lesson: Isaiah 50:4-10

The Servant of the LORD speaks about his suffering and his victory.

⁴The Lord God gave me a tongue like the learned, an instructed tongue,

so I know how to sustain the weary with a word.

He wakes me up morning by morning.

He wakes up my ears so that I listen like the learned.

⁵The Lord God opened my ear,

and I myself was not rebellious.

I did not turn back.

⁶I submitted my back to those who beat me,

and my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard.

I did not hide my face from disgrace and from spit.

⁷The Lord God will help me,

so I will not be disgraced.

Therefore I have made my face hard like flint.

I know that I will not be put to shame.

⁸The one who will acquit me is near!

Who can accuse me?

Let us take our stand.

Who can pass judgment on me?2

Let him approach me.

⁹Look, the Lord God will help me.

Who then can declare me guilty?

Look, all of them will wear out like a garment.

A moth will consume them.

¹⁰Who among you worships the Lord

and listens to the voice of his servant?

Anyone who walks in darkness

and who has no bright light—

let him trust in the name of the Lord,

and let him lean on his God.

Psalm of the Day 116

Refrain

I will walk in the presence of the Lord, in the land of the living.

I love the LORD, for he heard my voice;*

he heard my cry for mercy.

Because he turned his ear to me,*

I will call on him as long as I live.

The LORD is gracious and righteous;*

when I was in great need, he saved me.

Refrain

For you, O LORD, have delivered my soul from death,*

my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.

How can I repay the LORD*

for all his goodness to me?

I will lift up the cup of salvation*

and call on the name of the LORD.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son*

and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning,*

is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Refrain

Second Lesson: James 2:1-5, 8-10, 14-18
Favoritism or exclusivism has no place in the Church.

My brothers, have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ without showing favoritism. ²For example, suppose a man enters your worship assembly wearing gold rings and fine clothing, and a poor man also enters wearing filthy clothing. ³If you look with favor on the man wearing fine clothing and say, “Sit here in this good place,” but you tell the poor man, “Stand over there” or “Sit down here at my feet,” ⁴have you not made a distinction among yourselves and become judges with evil opinions? ⁵Listen, my dear brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom, which he promised to those who love him?

⁸However, if you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. ⁹But if you show favoritism, you are committing a sin, since you are convicted by this law as transgressors.

¹⁰In fact, whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles in one point has become guilty of breaking all of it.

¹⁴What good is it, my brothers, if someone says that he has faith but has no works? Such “faith” cannot save him, can it? ¹⁵If a brother or sister needs clothes and lacks daily food ¹⁶and one of you tells them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but does not give them what their body needs, what good is it? ¹⁷So also, such “faith,” if it is alone and has no works, is dead. ¹⁸But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

Verse:
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

These words are written that we may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Gospel Lesson: Mark 8:27-35

Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ.
²⁷Jesus went away with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?”

²⁸They told him, “John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others say one of the prophets.”

²⁹“But who do you say I am?” he asked them.

Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.”

³⁰Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him.

³¹Jesus began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things; be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the experts in the law; be killed; and after three days rise again. ³²He was speaking plainly to them. Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. ³³But after turning around and looking at his disciples, Jesus rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! You do not have your mind set on the things of God, but the things of men.”

³⁴He called the crowd and his disciples together and said to them, “If anyone wants to follow me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. ³⁵For whoever wants to save his life will lose it. But whoever loses his life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it.”

Hymn of the Day: 453 Come, Follow Me, the Savior Spoke

1 “Come, follow me,” the Savior spoke, “All in my way abiding.

Deny yourselves; the world forsake; Obey my call and guiding.

Oh, bear the cross, whate’er betide; Take my example for your guide.

2 “I am the light; I light the way, A godly life displaying.

I bid you walk as in the day; I keep your feet from straying.

I am the way, and well I show How you should journey here below.

3 “My heart abounds in lowliness, My soul with love is glowing,

And gracious words my lips express, With meekness overflowing.

My heart, my mind, my strength, my all To God I yield; on him I call.

4 “I teach you how to shun and flee What harms your souls’ salvation,

Your hearts from ev’ry guile to free, From sin and its temptation.

I am the refuge of the soul And lead you to your heav’nly goal.”

5 Then let us follow Christ our Lord And take the cross appointed

And, firmly clinging to his Word, In suff’ring be undaunted.

For those who bear the battle’s strain The crown of heav’nly life obtain.

Text: Johann Scheffler, 1624-77, abr., st. 1-3, 5; Geistliche Lieder und Lobgesänge, 1695, st. 4;

tr. Charles W. Schaeffer, 1813-96, alt.

Sermon

Nicene Creed

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father.

Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation, he came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and became fully human. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate. He suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures.

He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who in unity with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Offering Prayer

Offering

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Prayer of the Church

Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name,

thy kingdom come,

thy will be done

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread;

and forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who

trespass against us;

and lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom

and the power and the glory

forever and ever. Amen.

The Sacrament

P: The Lord be with you.

C: ♬ And also with you.

P: Lift up your hearts.

C: ♬ We lift them up to the Lord.

P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

C: ♬ It is right to give him thanks and praise.

P: Praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In love he has blessed us with every spiritual blessing. He sends the Holy Spirit to testify that we are his children and to strengthen us when we are weak. Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ. To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and thanks and honor and glory for ever and ever.

♬ Holy, Holy, Holy

Ho-ly, ho-ly, ho-ly is the Lord of hosts.

The whole earth is full of your glo-ry.

You are my God, and I will ex-alt you.

I will give you thanks, for you have be-come my sal-va-tion.

Ho-ly, ho-ly, ho-ly is the Lord of hosts.

The whole earth is full of your glo-ry.

Words of Institution

P: Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night he was betrayed, took bread; and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying “Take and eat; this is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

Then he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

P: The peace of the Lord be with you always.

C: ♬ A-men.

♬ O Christ, Lamb Of God

O Christ, Lamb of God,

you take a-way the sin of the world;

have mer-cy on us.

O Christ, Lamb of God,

you take a-way the sin of the world;

have mer-cy on us.

O Christ, Lamb of God,

you take a-way the sin of the world;

grant us your peace.

A-men.

Distribution Hymn: 422 Jesus, Lead Us On

1 Jesus, lead us on Till our rest is won;

And although the way be cheerless, We will follow, calm and fearless.

Guide us by your hand To our fatherland.

2 If the way be drear, If the foe be near,

Let not faithless fears o’ertake us; Let not faith and hope forsake us,

For through many a woe To our home we go.

3 When we seek relief From a long-felt grief,

When temptations come alluring, Make us patient and enduring;

Show us that bright shore Where we weep no more.

4 Jesus, still lead on Till our rest is won.

Heav’nly Leader, still direct us; Still support, console, protect us

Till we safely stand In our fatherland.

Text: Nicolaus L. von Zinzendorf, 1700-60, adapt.; tr. Jane L. Borthwick, 1813-97, alt.

Thank the Lord

Thank the Lord and sing his praise.

Tell ev-'ry-one what he has done.

Let all who seek the Lord re-joice

And proud-ly bear his name.

He re-news his prom-is-es and leads his peo-ple forth

in joy with shouts of thanks-giv-ing.

Al-le-lu-ia! Al-le-lu-ia!

Prayer

P: Hear the prayer of your people, O Lord, that the lips which have praised you here may glorify you in the world, that the eyes which have seen the coming of your Son may long for his coming again, and that all who have received in his true body and blood the pledge of your forgiveness may be restored to live a new and holy life, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C: A-men.

Blessing

M: Brothers and sisters, go in peace. Live in harmony with one another. Serve the Lord with gladness.

The Lord bless you and keep you.

The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.

The Lord look on you with favor and give you peace.

C: (sing) Amen. Amen. Amen.

Closing Hymn: 428 Why Should Cross and Trial Grieve Me

1 Why should cross and trial grieve me?

Christ is near With his cheer; Never will he leave me.

Who can rob me of the heaven

That God’s Son For me won When his life was given?

2 When life’s troubles rise to meet me,

Though their weight May be great, They will not defeat me.

God, my loving Savior, sees them;

He who knows All my woes Knows how best to end them.

3 God gives me my days of gladness,

And I will Trust him still When he sends me sadness.

God is good; his love attends me

Day by day, Come what may, Guides me and defends me.

4 Since I know God never fails me,

In his voice I’ll rejoice When grim death assails me.

Trusting in my Savior’s merit,

Safe at last, Troubles past, I shall heav’n inherit.

Text: Paul Gerhardt, 1607-76, st. 1-3, abr.; Harlyn J. Kuschel, b. 1945, st. 4; tr. composite,